Cigarette

ABSTRACT

A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF A LENGTH OF A CIGARETTE IS PRESERVED, SHOULD THE CIGARETTE BE LEFT UNATTENED BY A SMOKER WHO IS PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER MATTERS, BY THE PROVISION OF FLAMMABLITY BARRIERS WITHIN THE LENGTH OF THE CIGARETTE WHICH DIVIDE THE LENGTH OF THE CIGARETTE INTO SECTIONS. DUE TO A PARTICULAR RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE COMBUSTION TEMPERATURES OF THE TOBACCO FILLING FOR THE CIGARETTE AND THE FLAMMABILITY BARRIERS, USE OF THE CIGARETTE IN A NORMAL MANNER PROCEEDS UNIHIBITED WHILE AN UNATTENDED CIGARETTE IS EXTINQUISHED.     D R A W I N G D R A W I N G

Nov. 7, 1972 T. H. BORTHWICK 3,702,117

CIGARETTE Filed Nov. 23, 197B INVENTOR. TH Eo DO 125: H. BORTHWEK A'ITL)RNEYE United States Patent Oflice 3,70Z,l 17 Patented Nov. 7, 19723,702,117 CIGARETTE Theodore H. Borthwick, 2501-D Queen St.,Winston-Salem, N.C. 27103 Filed Nov. 23, 1970, Ser. No. 91,940 Int. Cl.A24d 1/10 US. Cl. 131-4 A 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Acigarette smoker who is preoccupied with other matters will frequentlylight a cigarette, place the cigarette in an ashtray, and subsequentlydiscover the cigarette has burned down while in the ashtray, even thoughthe smoker has not been actively smoking the cigarette. Such anoccurrence raises several difficulties and deficiencies, one of which isthe preclusion of the smoker from gaining full use of the cigarette.Another difiiculty which may arise from similar circumstances relates tothe fire hazard created by a cigarette allowed to smolder unattended.

The latter hazard in particular has heretofore been recognized byproposals to make cigarettes self-extinguishing. In accordance with suchproposals, fire hazards are avoided by extinguishing cigarettes burneddown to a nonfiammable barrier or the like provided in the constructionof the cigarette, such as by special treatment of the tubular wrapperwhich encloses the tobacco filler. Typically, such solutions to the firehazard presented by an unattended cigarette interfere with normal use ofthe cigarette, by requiring relighting if the extinguished cigarette isto be smoked further or by precluding any relighting of the cigarette,and have failed to be accepted.

It is an object of the present invention to permit full use of acigarette by extinguishing an unattended cigarette while permittingcontinuing consumption of a cigarette being actively smoked. Inaccomplishing this object of the present invention, flammabilitybarriers are provided in a cigarette which have an ignition temperaturerelated in a particular manner to the combustion temperatures of thecigarette when smoldering unattended and the cigarette when beingactively smoked. In the latter instance, the flammability barriers arereadily consumed, in order that normal consumption of the cigarette isnot prevented.

Some of the objects and advantages of the invention having been stated,others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, partly broken away to illustrate theinternal construction of the cigarette of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates an extinguished cigarette of the type shown in FIGS.1 and 2.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, the present inventioncontemplates a cigarette generally indicated by the reference character10 which comprises an elongated tubular wrapper 11 and tobacco filling12 extending longitudinally within the wrapper. In conventionalcigarette construction, the elongated tubular wrapper 11 is formed ofspecially produced paper while the tobacco filling 12 is a generallyrod-like body of shredded tobacco which has been cured, prepared andblended in accordance with practices desired by the cigarettemanufacturer. Such conventional cigarettes may or may not include afilter. The present invention contemplates that the use of such awrapper 11 and tobacco filling 12 continue with respect to the cigarette10 of the present invention, in order to adapt the present invention asclosely as possible to the present practices and desires of the industryand consumers, and that the cigarette 10 may be filtered or not.

In order to control consumption of the cigarette 10, without interferingwith continuing consumption of the cigarette when in active use by asmoker, the present invention provides barrier means generally indicatedat 14 spaced within the wrapper 11 for dividing the tobacco filler 12into sections. Desirably, the barrier means are spaced at a plurality oflocations within the wrapper and divide the tobacco filling intorelatively short sections, but as few as a single barrier may beprovided. The barrier means 14 has a combustion temperature which isrelated in a predetermined manner to the combustion temperatures of thetobacco filling 12, with this relationship accomplishing the desiredresults for the present subject invention.

More particularly, it has been noted that the elongated tubular wrapper11, when made of conventional cigarette paper, burns at a temperaturelower than the combustion temperatures of the tobacco filling 12.Further, it has been noted that the tobacco filling 12 ignites and burnsat a first predetermined temperature when in still air and burns at ahigher second predetermined temperature when under draft. By way ofexample, when a cigarette is left to smolder unattended in an ashtray orthe like, the tobacco filling 12 is combustible in still air at a lowertemperature than is the case when the cigarette is under draft. That is,the second predetermined temperature, at which the tobacco filling 12burns while the cigarette is actively being smoked, is above the firstpre determined temperature.

In the present subject invention, advantage is taken of this temperaturerelationship by providing barrier means 14 which ignite and burn at atemperature between the first and second temperatures for extinguishingthe cigarette in the event that draft therethrough is not maintainedwhile permitting continuing consumption of the cigarette when underdraft. As will be understood, this temperature relationship is such thatcombustion of the tobacco filling 12 in still air will proceed untilsuch time as the tobacco filling has burnt up to the barrier means 14.Then, inasmuch as the combustion temperature is below the ignitiontemperature of the barrier means 14, the cigarette becomes extinguished.However, in the event that a smoker is actively consuming the cigarette10, the combustion temperature of the tobacco filling 12 when underdraft is above the ignition temperature of the barrier means 14,igniting the barrier means and thereby permitting continuing consumptionof the cigarette.

In accordance with the present invention, it is preferred that thebarrier means 14 be formed by specially prepared tobacco. Desirably,tobacco for the barrier means 14 is prepared by compression intorelatively thin, fiat discs. At the same time, the tobacco is desirablytreated with a material having an ignition temperature between theaforementioned first and second predetermined temperatures, so as toensure operation of the barrier means 14 in a manner contemplated by thepresent invention. Such a treatment may, in accordance with the presentinvention, include impregnating the discs of compressed tobacco with anoil selected from the group consisting of cottonseed oil, degras, lardand tallow, with the lastnamed oil being preferred.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation.

What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette comprising an elongated tubular wrapper, tobacco fillingextending longitudinally within said wrapper and combustible in stillair at a first predetermined temperature and under draft at a secondpredetermined temperature above said first temperature, at least onebarrier disc means of compressed tobacco spaced within said wrapper fordividing said tobacco filling into sections, said barrier disc meanshaving a density greater than that of the remainder of said tobaccofilling, and an impregnant permeating said disc means for rendering saiddisc means combustible at a temperature between said first and secondtemperatures for extinguishing said cigarette in the event that drafttherethrough is not maintained while permitting continuing consumptionof said cigarette when under draft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,555,320 9/1925 Weil 131-4 A2,329,927 9/1943 Morton 13l-4 A 2,666,437 1/1954 Lattof l3l4 A 3,318,3145/1967 Stelzer 13l6l B X 3,528,432 9/1970 Stossel 131-4 A 2,746,8905/1956 Legler 13l4 R SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner G. M. YAHWAK,Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

